Secondary 5 ESL Basic Programme Ministerial Exam cheat sheet

Listening for gist: identify the speaker's purpose (to inform, persuade, complain, invite) before noting details; details support the purpose, not the reverse.

Signpost words that introduce a main idea: "the point is", "what matters is", "basically", "the problem is"; words that introduce an example: "for instance", "such as", "like".

Contrast signals ("but", "however", "although", "on the other hand") usually mark the speaker's real position; the clause after the contrast often carries the answer.

Turn-taking cues: falling intonation plus a pause signals the end of a turn; rising intonation or "right?" / "you know?" signals an invitation to respond.

Repair phrases keep an interaction going: "Sorry, could you repeat that?", "Do you mean ...?", "So, if I understand, ...". Repeating back a paraphrase confirms comprehension.

Register rule: use "Could you ...?" / "Would you mind ...?" with strangers and teachers; "Can you ...?" with peers. Modals of politeness lower imposition.

In note-taking during a listening task, record numbers, names, dates and negations first; these are the details most often tested and most easily lost.

Skimming = read title, first sentence of each paragraph, and last paragraph to get the main idea; scanning = move the eyes for one specific item (a date, a name, a number) without reading every word.

Main idea is usually stated in the first or last sentence of a paragraph; a detail question asks for one fact, an inference question asks what the text implies but does not state.

Pronoun reference: "it", "this", "they", "such" point back to the nearest suitable noun or noun phrase; check number (singular/plural) and meaning to choose the referent.

Vocabulary in context: replace the unknown word with each option and test whether the sentence keeps its logic; the correct option fits the surrounding cause, contrast or example.

Signal the author's attitude through evaluative adjectives and adverbs ("fortunately", "merely", "remarkable"); neutral reporting uses plain verbs like "states", "reports".

True/False/Not Given: choose False only when the text contradicts the statement; choose Not Given when the text neither confirms nor contradicts it.

Cohesive devices carry logic: "therefore" = result, "nevertheless" = concession, "moreover" = addition, "in other words" = restatement. Match the device to the relation between sentences.

Paragraph structure: topic sentence (claim) + supporting sentences (reasons, examples, evidence) + closing sentence that links to the next paragraph. One controlling idea per paragraph.

Thesis placement: an argumentative text states its position in the introduction and restates it, developed, in the conclusion; a narrative text builds to a climax instead.

Sentence variety rule: combine short sentences with coordination (and, but, so) and subordination (because, although, when, which) to avoid a string of simple sentences.

Formal writing avoids contractions, slang, "you" as a general subject, and exclamation marks; use "one", "people", or the passive instead.

Linking words by function: addition (furthermore, in addition), contrast (however, whereas), cause (because, due to), result (therefore, as a result), example (for instance), conclusion (in conclusion, to sum up).

Word-count planning: a 250-word text at 5 paragraphs is roughly 50 words per paragraph; allocate about 10% to introduction and 10% to conclusion.

Editing pass order: content and organization first, then sentence grammar, then spelling and punctuation last; correcting surface errors first wastes time if a paragraph must be rewritten.

Subject-verb agreement: a singular subject takes a singular verb even with an interrupting phrase ("The list of items is long"); indefinite pronouns (everyone, each, nobody) are singular.

Present perfect (have/has + past participle) links past to present and takes "for" + duration or "since" + starting point; simple past takes a finished time expression (yesterday, in 2019).

Conditionals: zero = general truth (If + present, present); first = real future (If + present, will); second = unreal present (If + past, would); third = unreal past (If + had + participle, would have + participle).

Reported speech shifts tense back one step (present to past, past to past perfect) and changes time/place words (now to then, here to there, tomorrow to the next day).

Punctuation: a comma splice joins two independent clauses with only a comma; fix with a period, a semicolon, or a conjunction. Non-restrictive clauses take commas ("My brother, who lives in Ottawa, ...").

Apostrophes: possessive singular = 's (the student's book); possessive plural = s' (the students' books); "its" = possessive, "it's" = it is. Do not use an apostrophe for a plain plural.

Commonly confused pairs: affect (verb) / effect (noun); their / there / they're; then (time) / than (comparison); lose / loose; advice (noun) / advise (verb).

Cohesion = surface links (pronouns, repetition, synonyms, linking words); coherence = logical order of ideas. A text can be cohesive but incoherent if ideas are out of order.

Given-new principle: begin a sentence with information the reader already has, and end it with the new, important information; this creates a natural information flow.

Paragraph order in a process text follows chronology (first, next, then, finally); in a comparison text it follows point-by-point or block structure; in a problem-solution text it follows problem, cause, solution, evaluation.

Lexical chains: repeat key terms or use synonyms and pronouns to link sentences; switching terms without a synonym link breaks the chain and confuses the reader.

Reference chains must be unambiguous: if two nouns of the same gender and number precede a pronoun, the reader cannot resolve it; replace the pronoun with the noun.

Transition placement: a sentence-initial connector signals the relation to the previous sentence; a connector inside a sentence signals the relation between clauses only.

An effective conclusion does not introduce new evidence; it restates the thesis in new words, summarizes the main points, and offers an implication or recommendation.